Silly commuting racing

wolfsbane2k

Fark me that headwind was evil this morning, and the crosswinds were viscous. Against the same route, on the previous day:
Average HR was 9bpm above
Average Speed was 4km/h below.
Speed difference on a downill section, straight into the headwind, had a 11kmph difference (43 vs 54) - no traffic, with equal heart rate to yesterday's ride.

Best get used to it I suppose; Winter, she's a coming.

magictrumpet

I was a one-man echelon going along Embankment this morning thanks to that cross/headwind. Solid air...

drhaggis

Almost crashed into a teenager that decided it'd be a good idea to keep walking while:
a) looking at her phone
b) wearing closed on-ear headphones
c) the people around her had stopped because, I don't know, maybe a bike and a car were coming that way?
d) on a corner so she was less visible

I mean, WTF! I went all Allston on her ("You could have hurt me! You could have hurt yourself!"), but she looked quite scared after getting back to the pavement. Actually felt quite bad for her later. Had the chance to fix my karma when I overtook an unprepared man visited by the fairy. "Slow fairy" he said, but the minipump wasn't really working. Offered help to fix it, as well as an inner tube, provided I left in 10 minutes, but politely declined. So my karma is likely still in the negative. Maybe I should take the car tomorrow, given the weather forecast...

norks74

"He will go on trial for those offences at Inner London Crown Court on February 4."

It seems that the moron in the Audi in Clapham/Stockwell the other week has fessed up his driving offences. Hope he gets what he deserves (as well as some help, to boot)

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/man-admits-deliberately-driving-stolen-car-at-cyclists-in-south-london-a3939311.html

norks74

DrHaggis wrote:

Almost crashed into a teenager that decided it'd be a good idea to keep walking while:
a) looking at her phone
b) wearing closed on-ear headphones
c) the people around her had stopped because, I don't know, maybe a bike and a car were coming that way?
d) on a corner so she was less visible

I mean, WTF! I went all Allston on her ("You could have hurt me! You could have hurt yourself!"), but she looked quite scared after getting back to the. Actually felt quite bad for her later. Had the chance to fix my karma when I overtook an unprepared man visited by the fairy. "Slow fairy" he said, but the minipump wasn't really working. Offered help to fix it, as well as an inner tube, provided I left in 10 minutes, but politely declined. So my karma is likely still in the negative. Maybe I should take the car tomorrow, given the weather forecast...

This Dr., stepping off the kerb without looking up, happens with greater regularity than is good for the soul, down here in the city of many people. I had a lady push a pram out into the road without looking once on Tooting High Street. Couldn't believe it. Don't remember if she was on the phone though.

Your karma must be in the positive. An offer of help is a kind offer is it not?

The tailwinds/headwinds and crosswinds here tomorrow and Thursday look pretty interesting, though I suspect you are in for a bigger treat than us peeps that dwell down south in uk-shire.

norks74

And before I forget....scalped a RLJ'ing ebike today on the straight between Balham tube and Tooting Bec this evening. A first for me. Very pleased as it it was a seated effort into the wind. avg'd 35.8km/h - Hope the bloke I towed along the same stretch until Tesco/Argos before I blew up felt the same way for me too.

cruff

Norks74 wrote:

"He will go on trial for those offences at Inner London Crown Court on February 4."

It seems that the moron in the Audi in Clapham/Stockwell the other week has fessed up his driving offences. Hope he gets what he deserves (as well as some help, to boot)

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/man-admits-deliberately-driving-stolen-car-at-cyclists-in-south-london-a3939311.html

"The sun was quite clearly in my client's eyes, m'lud"

sgt.pepper

Commuting an extra 10 miles on the way home to keep my team's 'steps' up. Uploaded to Strava just to keep a track of my time, and ended up unintentionally getting a couple of segment 6ths without consciously trying. Fear I've been bitten by the Strava bug now, after having never really bothered before

edit - also, UK flights are booked for Christmas. If there are any get togethers planned over that period it would be nice to put some names to avatars, as I'll be heading to London to visit friends already.

Need to try and figure out a means of keeping my fitness up while over there - think running will be most efficient in terms of time.

cjcp

Norks74 wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

Almost crashed into a teenager that decided it'd be a good idea to keep walking while:
a) looking at her phone
b) wearing closed on-ear headphones
c) the people around her had stopped because, I don't know, maybe a bike and a car were coming that way?
d) on a corner so she was less visible

I mean, WTF! I went all Allston on her ("You could have hurt me! You could have hurt yourself!"), but she looked quite scared after getting back to the. Actually felt quite bad for her later. Had the chance to fix my karma when I overtook an unprepared man visited by the fairy. "Slow fairy" he said, but the minipump wasn't really working. Offered help to fix it, as well as an inner tube, provided I left in 10 minutes, but politely declined. So my karma is likely still in the negative. Maybe I should take the car tomorrow, given the weather forecast...

This Dr., stepping off the kerb without looking up, happens with greater regularity than is good for the soul, down here in the city of many people. I had a lady push a pram out into the road without looking once on Tooting High Street. Couldn't believe it. Don't remember if she was on the phone though.

Your karma must be in the positive. An offer of help is a kind offer is it not?

The tailwinds/headwinds and crosswinds here tomorrow and Thursday look pretty interesting, though I suspect you are in for a bigger treat than us peeps that dwell down south in uk-shire.

A female wandered into the bike lane running along Embankment just opposite Southwark Bridge yesterday evening. On her phone, paying no attention. Had to shout out, and just about squeezed between her and the left curb of the bike lane.

Closest I've come to a full-on clattering, I think. :?

In other news, there was a female roadie giving it some beans down the NKR last night, despite the headwind. A chap on a Boardman made every effort to get on the wheel and just sit there. Mate...

Gallywomack

This talk of karma and peds risking death is quite apposite - yesterday I was filtering on the right of long queue of traffic, and as I approached a bus a woman ped suddenly appeared on my right from behind a stationary van on the other side of the road. I was going slowly enough for a collision to be avoided (in fairness to her she wasn't completely unaware and stopped in time too), so I continued on past the bus. As I did so it occurred to me that she was probably running for it, so as I emerged into the empty road in front of the bus I turned and sure enough, saw her running along gesticulating as the bus started to pull away. I pointed her out to the driver who after some initial confusion, looked in his mirror, saw her and stopped for her.

Karma level 1+

Or maybe I was rewarding her risky actions... hmm, bit complicated this karma stuff...

anonymousblackfg

Cruff wrote:

Norks74 wrote:

"He will go on trial for those offences at Inner London Crown Court on February 4."

It seems that the moron in the Audi in Clapham/Stockwell the other week has fessed up his driving offences. Hope he gets what he deserves (as well as some help, to boot)

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/man-admits-deliberately-driving-stolen-car-at-cyclists-in-south-london-a3939311.html

"The sun was quite clearly in my client's eyes, m'lud"

Not sure how he's going to afford the £150 and those three extra points on his already voided driving licence are going to bite.

PT this morning, grim though am still annoyed at my failure to drop the hammer last night to beat the Wheeler, cracknfail fixie and the pro-nodder. I got boxed then didn't make up the ground to make the lights, honest.

hopkinb

anonymousblackfg wrote:

hopkinb wrote:

Nah, black spesh ss with red bar tape.

This the little guy with with red bits on the tyres and a white helmet with the vents blocked up?

That's him. I came in with him again today. I was bimbling along, he came past, I caught up at some lights, and then thrashed it in instead of continuing the leisurely spin. Must give legs a rest ahead of a hundred miler on Sunday.

asprilla

Last night was hard work and as I'm saving myself for synchronised drowning at the weekend I'm trainwankering today and tomorrow.

tgotb

Petersham in total gridlock this morning, thanks to the perfect storm of road closures in the park approaching Richmond Gate and temporary traffic lights on Petersham Road.

Set off in limp mode with legs that had been aching all night, but the tailwind seemed to generate enough enthusiasm to wake them up, and ended up hammering it most of the way in...

kingstongraham

TGOTB wrote:

Petersham in total gridlock this morning, thanks to the perfect storm of road closures in the park approaching Richmond Gate and temporary traffic lights on Petersham Road.

Set off in limp mode with legs that had been aching all night, but the tailwind seemed to generate enough enthusiasm to wake them up, and ended up hammering it most of the way in...

Near Ham gate I passed a colleague who drives in - he took at least an hour more than me this morning. Don't think he appreciated finding out he would have been fine if he'd gone anticlockwise to Roehampton.

rower63

TGOTB wrote:

Petersham in total gridlock this morning, thanks to the perfect storm of road closures in the park approaching Richmond Gate and temporary traffic lights on Petersham Road...

I saw the closure towards Richmond Gate and cars U-turning at HamX and thought that'll cause carnage. temp traffic lights too, someone hadn't thought that through.

I have to say, though, that the standard of road repairs in RP is very good. Whenever they do anything, the joins between old tarmac and new are always perfectly smooth and stay that way...

veronese68

KingstonGraham wrote:

TGOTB wrote:

Petersham in total gridlock this morning, thanks to the perfect storm of road closures in the park approaching Richmond Gate and temporary traffic lights on Petersham Road.

Near Ham gate I passed a colleague who drives in - he took at least an hour more than me this morning. Don't think he appreciated finding out he would have been fine if he'd gone anticlockwise to Roehampton.

Had to drop my daughter off in New Malden and then drive out to lovely Hanworth, as I was sitting in traffic trying to get through Kingston I was wondering if I'd have been better off going through the park and out on the A316. This news makes me feel a lot better about going through Kingston.
I think I'm now up to 2 weeks off the bike, off for the next couple of days and hopefully back to relative normality next week.

kingstonian

rower63 wrote:

TGOTB wrote:

Petersham in total gridlock this morning, thanks to the perfect storm of road closures in the park approaching Richmond Gate and temporary traffic lights on Petersham Road...

I saw the closure towards Richmond Gate and cars U-turning at HamX and thought that'll cause carnage. temp traffic lights too, someone hadn't thought that through.

I have to say, though, that the standard of road repairs in RP is very good. Whenever they do anything, the joins between old tarmac and new are always perfectly smooth and stay that way...

Yep, they've done a good job to be fair. Do wonder what that silky smooth tarmac will be like when the frost and ice starts........could be interesting.......

kingdav

I did a long commute this morning so was nicely warmed up when joined by choppers. Couldn't properly dispense with a couple of them due to their RLJ'ing so had to settle for intervals catching them up after each junction. Normally aiming to get to the office for about 8, I left later than I'd have liked today to be in day-light, it was noticeably busier and chopperier.

errorist

Sitting at my desk on the 12th floor listening to the wind howling round the building. Not looking forward to another ride home straight into this head wind. Might buy an ebike.

inbike

One couple I know commute by eBike.

She's 8 months pregnant, he just looks like he is.

hopkinb

Ah, the wind wasn't so bad. There'll be worse. In the dark. With the rain. Which brings out the really bad/ drunk/high drivers.

cjcp

Have been riding SS for the last month*. Late commute home last night, not many around, so figured it was absolutely fine to rant and swear out loud at the headwind while grinding away. But on the plus side, sleeping like a log \o/


* my own fault. I just CBA to change the cables (and maybe rear mech) to allow for smooth changing.

cjcp

hopkinb wrote:

Ah, the wind wasn't so bad. There'll be worse. In the dark. With the rain. Which brings out the really bad/ drunk/high drivers.

Last night was a reminder about how dark the bike lane is from Westminster to Tower Bridge (and the other way, obvs). The winter ninjas will make that great fun.

smokey_bacon

cjcp wrote:

hopkinb wrote:

Ah, the wind wasn't so bad. There'll be worse. In the dark. With the rain. Which brings out the really bad/ drunk/high drivers.

Last night was a reminder about how dark the bike lane is from Westminster to Tower Bridge (and the other way, obvs). The winter ninjas will make that great fun.

Its not the winter ninjas you have to worry about its the fool with a billion lumen light who will have already burned your retinas out of your head so you wont see the ninjas.

Farewell CS7 Tour Stage 1 for me this morning, was surprisingly quiet, hit all the lights so I got a good look for old time lols. The wind appears to have blown away half of last weeks peloton!

tgotb

Smokey Bacon wrote:

cjcp wrote:

hopkinb wrote:

Ah, the wind wasn't so bad. There'll be worse. In the dark. With the rain. Which brings out the really bad/ drunk/high drivers.

Last night was a reminder about how dark the bike lane is from Westminster to Tower Bridge (and the other way, obvs). The winter ninjas will make that great fun.

Its not the winter ninjas you have to worry about its the fool with a billion lumen light who will have already burned your retinas out of your head so you wont see the ninjas.

The real danger is the people coming the other way, with a red light attached to the front of their bike. And no, I'm not kidding.....

jds_1981

Smokey Bacon wrote:

cjcp wrote:

hopkinb wrote:

Ah, the wind wasn't so bad. There'll be worse. In the dark. With the rain. Which brings out the really bad/ drunk/high drivers.

Last night was a reminder about how dark the bike lane is from Westminster to Tower Bridge (and the other way, obvs). The winter ninjas will make that great fun.

Its not the winter ninjas you have to worry about its the fool with a billion lumen light who will have already burned your retinas out of your head so you wont see the ninjas.

Farewell CS7 Tour Stage 1 for me this morning, was surprisingly quiet, hit all the lights so I got a good look for old time lols. The wind appears to have blown away half of last weeks peloton!

I had my first blinding flasher experience this season this morning.

hopkinb

Proper bimble on the way in. Kept it between 25 and 30 kph more or less all the way, which in this tailwind meant a lot of freewheeling. I got passed by everyone, all the folks wearing their pe kit, all the old grannies. It was liberating. Didn't add that much to the journey time either.

drhaggis

I was weak yesterday, so migraine plus heavy rain in the morning plus yellow alert for winds meant I took the car. Might have been the wise thing to do, too. Driving in Edinburgh is such a crappy experience, though. Being able to listen to the music you want while seaated on heated leather seats must be the only benefit. But whatever, took the bike today, but no real competition since I have to drop Haggis Jr at school.

hopkinb wrote:

Proper bimble on the way in. Kept it between 25 and 30 kph more or less all the way, which in this tailwind meant a lot of freewheeling. I got passed by everyone, all the folks wearing their pe kit, all the old grannies. It was humiliating. Didn't add that much to the journey time either.

FTFY.

Now, seriously, in the end, it's traffic light "synchronisation" what ends up adding a lot of time, at least in Edinburgh. And since you'll need a lot of extra power to go at 35-40 km/h instead, well, being oh so slightly lazy might be good at times.

anonymousblackfg

52 minute commute which I think is one of my fastest ever, not a single pot on strava so I just think I was lucky with the lights and fresh legs from PT yesterday.

Bring on the headwind.